Cease-Fire
by AnonymouslyAddicted
Summary: As the world may come to an end, sometimes you're willing to pay any price for a cease-fire.


**A/N** : Ugh, finally this is done. I've been writing is since Monday morning. I wanted to post it sooner but never got around to it. I was thinking of writing how they try to work the whole Dimitri mess, but I believe the show will provide us of that, and honestly, I didn't feel like getting into it. I did write angst of course, but I needed some fluff and some good ending. I don't see them going all – oh everything's fine because you almost died, but I do hope we'll get some fluff before they get into this whole mess again. This is a one shot, I don't plan to continue this, even though the ending is kind of open. I guess it's my way of filling out the gap between the end of the episode and the next one, since we don't get to see it until January 10th (can it be January 10th already?!). Well, I hope you'll like it. Comments are, as always, utterly appreciated.

* * *

 **Cease-Fire**

He waited for her call to get to the voicemail. He never screened her calls before. She called twice already, leaving him a message that he listened to over and over since her first call. And now, she was calling again, he just had to pick up the phone. But he wasn't ready to talk to her. Not yet. Not after everything that happened. He thought that she, out of all people, would understand. She was a spy herself, she knows what it's like to get trapped in a dangerous situation, only relying on your government to get you out. He couldn't even remember the amount of times she was rescued from unsafe situations, no matter what the cost was. What if someone had decided to run a negotiation over her head like they just did with Dimitri? He could've lost her forever. She had to understand that. She had to know, Dimitri had a family too. And how was he supposed to tell Dimitri's sister that her brother died because they just gave him away as bait to get the cease fire agreement? He knew they had to think of the greater good. This agreement stopped a nuclear war with Russia. It stopped world war III. But at that moment he didn't care about these arguments. He wanted his wife to have some better solution. He wanted her to work her skills and find a way that didn't involve the life of this young man. Dimitri was after all the reason why the US was even able to get Ostrov into talking. And just like that, after everything he sacrificed for the US, they give him away, toss him aside like he's some meaningless toy. They got what they needed from him so he's no longer viable.

His phone vibrated again. She left another message. "Hey, baby. It's me. Just checking in again. I left you a message. Call me, please? I love you. I love you". He sighed, tossing his phone on the desk. She sounded like she was on the verge of crying, just like she was the day before when she told him what had happened. She barely said a word. Her eyes were filled with tears, and she forced herself to meet his gaze, to face his anger, his disappointment. Her voice barely above a whisper, she managed to say so little words that crashed him. And she knew they would. It was why she looked so shattered, so defeated. He wanted to call, to tell her that he loves her too, but he just needed the space. He needed to take a step back, to let it sink. He needed to first focus on his own loss before he could start looking at the greater good. And he knew that talking to her, she would try to explain why she authorized it, how did she. He wasn't ready to listen just yet.

He played her messages, letting her voice soothe him. He was beginning to think it was a bad idea to take that commercial flight home. Of course he was mad, but not at her. Not even at Dalton. He knew some things were bigger than him. Some things were even bigger than the President. Sometimes, he thought, tough calls had to be made. He remembered how after signing the Iran deal, when one night she lied in bed wide awake, staring into space. She was distant for a while and he couldn't figure out why. He had asked her if it had something to do with the deal and Juliet and she had told him that it doesn't really matter because at the end of the day, as Secretary of State, she had to see the bigger picture and she had to make decisions regardless of how she felt. 'I don't have the luxury of delving in how this makes me feel' she said to him. This was no different. If she agreed to it, it was because she knew it's the only thing left to do. He couldn't blame her, he couldn't be mad at her for this. And he wasn't, he was mad at the situation, at how things turned out so badly. But then again, he left earlier, without her and he was avoiding her calls as if she had done something wrong.

He glanced at his watch. Maybe he should call her. Just to tell her that he's okay, that he loves her. Maybe offer to meet her at Andrews. He dialed her number, but went straight to voicemail. They were probably taking off right now. He missed her.

When his phone rang 10 minutes later he was sure it was her, calling from the plane.

"Oh thank god I caught you! How are you? Where are you? Are you okay?" Russell asked, his voice frantic.

"Russell? What...?"

"Henry are the President and the Secretary okay? Anyone hurt?"

"Hurt? Russell what are you talking about?" Henry was starting to freak out. Russell almost never let his emotions get to him. Something bad must've happened for him to react that way.

"Henry where are you? You're not with Elizabeth?"

"No. I took a commercial flight home yesterday. Russell what happened?" Henry asked, his voice high and worried.

"An explosive was fired outside the Palace of Nations. I don't know if they were still there when it happened. I'm getting reports Ostrov is dead. I can't get ahold of them, all communication is down. I tried her detail as well, but I can't seem to go through".

Silence sank in. Processing the news, Henry was unable to speak. If only he stayed with her, he thought.

"Russell, what if they're...? I..."

"Take her plane Henry. I'll keep trying to get hold of them and I will keep you posted. But you go, you have to be there".

Hanging up the phone, Henry dialed her number again. "Come on baby, pick up pick up pick up" he said. He wanted this to not be true. He wanted her to pick up the phone and tell him the news got it wrong; or that they had already left there; or that she was okay. He just needed her to pick up, to hear her voice. But the call went straight to voicemail again.

He got up, put his coat on and ran out the door. He needed to get to Andrews. He still had a 7 hours flight. Not knowing if she was okay, if she was even alive, he didn't know how to survive this.

They were on the air for what seemed like days. He kept following the route of the plane, wishing they could go faster. Being a pilot himself, he knew it wasn't possible. According to the route, they still had at least 4 hours left before they land. It was too much. He kept dialing her number every few minutes, each time getting to voicemail. He texted her, but she didn't answer. He tried everything, even calling her detail's emergency number. Nothing. He hasn't heard from Russell either. His thoughts were running wild, his heart racing. He kept replaying their last conversation, how he stormed out, angry. How later he packed his bags and left, only leaving her a note that he went home. He didn't even sign "I love you" at the end. This couldn't be their last conversation. This couldn't be their goodbye. He had to make it right, he had to see her, talk to her, kiss her. He had to... He couldn't lose her.

His phone vibrated in his hands, interrupting his thoughts. "Elizabeth!" he called.

"No, Henry it's Russell".

"Russell, did you reach them? Do you know anything?"

"I got hold of Frank. He said they were hurt, he doesn't know to what extent. He said the whole place was chaotic, and they were rushed out of there to the hospital. He said the doctors won't talk to them and they don't know what their situation is. As far as I know, though, they're both alive".

"Oh thank god!" Henry exclaimed, letting out a breath. It wasn't enough information to quiet all his fears, but as he was still so far away from her, he was happy to know that she was, as far as he knew, still alive.

As his car finally rolled to the hospital's entrance, he jumped outside, almost falling on his way out. He scanned the emergency room, looking for her agents, and located Frank pacing down the hallway.

"Dr. McCord!" Frank called as he spotted Henry running towards him.

"Where is she? I have to see her!"

"She was admitted. They took her for more tests. They're not telling me much. She hit her head but she seemed fine. She kept telling me I should call you until I reach you, let you know you shouldn't worry. Let's go find a nurse to take you to her. They only allow immediate family, and I think they have been waiting for you to arrive".

As he walked down the hospital's corridors, the events of the past 48 hours flashed before his eyes. He wondered if he was about to realize he's only getting a last chance to say goodbye, or if God answered his prayers, and she was okay. He needed her to be okay.

The nurse stopped at her room. The door was closed. "The doctor is still there, but you can go in" she said.

Henry stood still. He wanted to rush through the door and finally see her. But he was unable to move. He didn't know what he was about to see behind this door - she could be seriously injured; she could be mad at him; she could kick him out; she could be unconscious.

"Sir?" the nurse asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Nodding, he took a step forward, slowly opening the door. Elizabeth was lying in bed, a bandage covering part of her forehead. She was pale. She had a few bandages on her arms. She had a nasal tube. The doctor was standing next to her, testing her vision, maybe the movement of her eyes, he wasn't sure. But the minute he walked into the room, Elizabeth turned her head to face him, calling his name. She knew it was him who walked into the room even before she saw him. His smell, his presence. She knew that finally, he was there.

"Baby!" he called, moving quickly to her side. He leaned forward, crashing his lips against hers, his tongue demanding access to her mouth, his lips sucking hers, literally taking her breath away. As he felt her panting in his mouth, he pulled away, finally meeting her eyes. She looked tired and in pain; she looked sad. She looked broken. He realized soon enough that the nasal tube was due to a panic attack; he then realized that she suffered a traumatic brain injury, and might be put under until the swelling passes. He also learned that she was lucky enough to be outside of the car, since it had exploded, and it allowed her more time to get away, ultimately saving her life. Conrad was hurt much more severely.

She was scheduled for another CT and MRI. Her doctor needed to determine the nature of her head injury. They were left alone as they waited for someone to take her to the tests.

"Baby..." Henry said, sitting on her bed beside her, taking her hand in his. "I thought... I'm sorry I didn't answer your calls... I was…"

"Henry, it's okay. I'm okay. I've been trying to call you to tell you that, but all communications were down. I'm sorry I had you all worried. And you shouldn't have come all the way here, really".

"I shouldn't have left in the first place".

She pulled her hand from his. "This doesn't change anything. You have every right to be mad".

"It changes everything. It made me realize that I don't want to spend one more minute being mad at you, as it could be our last minute together in this world" he said, taking her hand in his again. "I don't want to talk about this right now. Babe, if they decide to put you under… I just want to be with you".

She nodded and he moved closer to peck her lips. "Tell me what happened" he said.

"I actually don't know. I was about to get into the car as we were driving off, and suddenly there was a massive explosion. Something hit my head and I almost fell to the ground, and then Matt ran over to me and pushed me away. We didn't get too far when the car exploded. Luckily Frank pulled Conrad out of the car in time. I don't know if anyone died. Then there was all this chaos, and I was rushed here".

"Is Ostrov dead?"

"Yes. And I already instructed Jay to find a way to get Dimitri back. He promised to keep me updated".

Taking her face in his hands, he kissed her. He was gentle this time, yet still so desperate. He wanted to tell her how much he loves her, to make sure she knows how scared he was, how he can't ever lose her. Breathless again, she pushed him gently.

"When was the panic attack?" he asked.

She smiled, her eyes leaving his gaze. "Right after the explosion. And then with Matt pushing me away… But I'm okay now, they gave Xanax, so…"

"Xanax doesn't make the feelings go away…"

"No, I know. But there's not much I can do. Just another thing to add to my PTSD I guess".

He nodded. "Are you in pain?" he asked, gently moving his fingers over the bandage, then slowly moved down to her cheek, making her close her eyes.

"Yes" she answered.

"Can I do something?"

"Just be here. And kiss me" she smiled.

He nodded, moving to sit on her side, pulling her to his embrace. He kissed her, his lips occasionally breaking from hers to allow her to breathe. They kissed until she was taken to more tests, savoring every minute they could with each other before she was put under for 48 hours and he was left to sit next to her and watch her sleeping peacefully. It was then that he finally let go, his tears sliding down his cheeks, quiet sobs escaping his mouth. He cried over Dimitri; he cried over his sister; he cried over almost losing her; he cried over ever being mad at her. He rested his head on her stomach, his tears soaking in the blanket that covered her. Finally he fell asleep, her breathings soothing him.


End file.
